The Unilateral Change Order

An episode of SJCC's Site Survey Podcast

Many construction companies run their operations with too little specificity; costs ought to be reviewed on an activity-by-activity basis. Learn what, why and how to set up a good cost code structure.
http://sjcivil.net/news/cost-codes-what-why-how/

A recent article by the American Bar Association caught my eye. It was entitled “When is it okay for a lawyer to lie?” I could probably end the article right here. I’ll keep going. [QR]
Contemplating a law career. Yup, I get it, you know someone who watched television like the rest of us and you became a lawyer because of Perry Mason, Law & Order,or Boston Legal. Don’t get me wrong, I loved A Few Good Men.
http://sjcivil.net/podcast/why-be-an-engineer-its-the-mornings/

Contractors usually are mandated to attend a pre-construction meeting with the Owner. There’s no reason not to also have an internal pre-construction meeting.
http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/the-internal-pre-con-top-10/

The importance of the daily report cannot be overstated. Knowing why to write them and what to put in the report is critical for defense of yourself, and offense against another party.
http://sjcivil.net/news/the-construction-daily-report-why-what/

One of contractors’ most reliable defenses, the Spearin Doctrine, has been upheld in a Missouri Court. Certainly, for Missourians, this is a good thing, and to the extent, others may be able to reference this case or use a similar approach in claims, is a win for the construction industry.

Training is an investment in your company. In your people. And anyone who has had a business knows that the fanciest equipment and tools are still only as good at the workers who use them. Invest in making better workers.

Once the decision is made to engage a consultant, choosing the firm to assist you can be one of the biggest challenges. Consider asking key questions to flush out the quality and value of the service.
http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/choosing-a-construction-consultant/

Construction claims are an unfortunate part of the construction process in today’s world. When you have a claim, know the order of hierarchy in your presentation of the data for maximum remuneration from the client.
http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/construction-claims-hierarchy/

Is there a process in your company that you’d like to have developed into a simple app, or made accessible via the web? Sometimes, with the right framework in place, developing these processes for you can be done quickly and for reasonable cost.
http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/customized-programming-easy-access-and-low-cost/

A claim is made because a contractor has lost money and/or time on a project. The method is chosen by the contractor to substantiate these costs can vary. Some popular methods of calculating cost are presented.
http://sjcivil.net/news/some-basic-analysis-techniques-in-claim-preparation/

A constructability review of a plan set can greatly benefit the project. On the surface, it looks like it benefits primarily the Owner, but the benefits to the design team and contractor can also be significant. All project parties should encourage this service on their projects.

Construction equipment is a necessary tool to perform many types of construction work. How to acquire the equipment has a significant effect on the financial aspect of a company. There are many options which should be considered when temporarily or permanently acquiring a piece of gear.
http://sjcivil.net/news/equipment-buy-rent-rto-rpo-lease-which-one/

Construction companies have inventories that should be managed to improve efficiency and, in turn, improve the bottom line. Consider a mobile solution or at least one that gets away from the clipboard.
http://sjcivil.net/assets/inventory-tracking-a-money-saver/

Landing the work has enough challenges in meeting the scope, schedule, and cost requirements of the client. You’re defeating yourself if you can’t be polite and practice simple business etiquette.
http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/top-10-basic-business-etiquette/

The purpose of a change order is to add work to an existing contract. Ideally this work is added with mutually agreeable terms in scope, time, and cost. These terms often cannot be agreed upon and contractors feel coerced into signing the document.
Consider not signing the change order.
http://sjcivil.net/white-paper/the-unilateral-change-order/

There’s an adage, fast/cheap/good, pick any two. This relates to the Project Management Triple Constraint. It also has other names like Iron Triangle and Project Triangle.
http://sjcivil.net/sjcc/project-management-triple-constraint/

Do two things today to improve your company: (1) check to make sure you are current on your 940 and 941 taxes and (2) make sure you’re reviewing your fuel bill.
http://sjcivil.net/accounting/two-for-today-taxes-and-fuel/